Data Zone
Country/territory: Iran, Islamic Republic of
IBA criteria met: A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 15,000 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 1994 | not assessed | low | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (1994 baseline)
The site covers c.40 km of shore on the Straits of Hormoz, 120 km south-east of Bandar Abbas: an extensive complex of tidal creeks, mudflats, mangrove swamps, sandbanks and low muddy offshore islands and sandbars at the mouths of the Rud-i-Gaz (26°30'N 57°00'E) and the Rud-i-Hara (26°50'N 56°40'E). The rivers flow only after erratic rainfall in the interior (usually in winter). Extensive stands of mangrove Avicennia marina occur at the mouths of the rivers, along tidal creeks and as a broad fringe along the landward side of coastal sandbars. The adjacent arid plain supports a sparse woodland of Acacia, Prosopis, Ziziphus and Tamarix with large areas of bare sandy flats. Land ownership is public. The area is remote, with only a few tiny fishing villages nearby.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. An extremely important wintering area for shorebirds, notably Haematopus ostralegus, Limosa lapponica, Numenius arquata and Tringa totanus, along with smaller numbers of Platalea leucorodia and Dromas ardeola. The site may also be important for breeding herons and egrets including Ardea goliath and Ardeola grayii. The adjacent sandy plains and thorn woodland support a typical Baluchi avifauna including Dendrocopos assimilis and Calandrella raytal.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rud-i-Gaz and Rud-i-Hara deltas (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rud-i-gaz-and-rud-i-hara-deltas-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/11/2024.